The Power of Champagne? 
 
 
What sorts of ailments respond to champagne therapy? Hold on to your corks the list includes migraine headaches, obesity, insomnia, food allergies, lazy bowel, depression and anxiety (I could have told them that).
Surprised? Don't be. Wine in-small doses has a long history of healthful benefits. In moderation a drink or two a day, depending on your gender and make-up wine is good for your heart and circulation, your memory, your mood. But like so many other good things, thin, buttery chocolate chip cookies for instance, too much can lead to trouble. Alcoholism drinking out of balance is a huge, dangerous and costly problem. And women who drink an excess of wine sadly, two or more glasses a day are at significantly greater risk for breast cancer, uterine cancer, osteoporosis and the saying of idiotic things they hate themselves for in the morning. Many people vow at New Year's end to drink less alcohol, and if you're one of them, and still remember you took that pledge, here are a few sober strategies for lowering your cocktail count in 2009:
 
Carry a Fake. Let's face it, cutting down on your alcohol intake isn't nearly as hard as telling your drinking pals you're cutting back. They look at you like you've just slashed their tires, with your teeth. A good way around that until you've built up some backbone is to simply carry a fake drink, one that looks like alcohol but isn't. Tomato juice with lemon (a dead ringer for a Bloody Mary), a tonic with lime, a lemonade in a martini glass. Garnish helps think two skewers of olives.
 
Accept and Abandon.
Practice this Key Move. The problem with drinking is that it lowers your inhibition to more drinking. That's why the palm-pass-over the-glass move was created. It's the universal signal for no more wine, thank you, and the more you practice it the easier it becomes. Some people like to add a clever remark, like "I'm on call at the hospital," but this is strictly optional.
 
Sip and Savor. What is not optional when it comes to successfully cutting back on your drinking is learning to savor the four-to-six ounces of wine you do have. Watch the pour. Smile, relax, and settle into the joy of the moment. Cultivate a sloshing-technique that encourages the wine to climb up the sides of the glass without escaping onto your shirt. Put your nose inside the rim and inhale deeply, allowing the undertones of raspberries, vanilla and nymphs running naked in a sunlit field to fill you with appreciation. This is it! Your one wonderful glass of Champagne for the evening.